Brick re-pressing apparatus.



No. 792.999. PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905.

J. O. LUDLAM & C. P. BONNOT.

BRICK RE-PRESSING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27, 1904.

3 SHEETSSHEBT X WITNESSES (g a 0g 1 M No. 792,999 PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905.

J. O. LUDLAM & G. F. BONNOT.

BRICK RE-PRESSING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27. 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVEITTRS WHTNESSES No. 792,999. PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905. J. O. LUDLAM & O. P. BONNOT. BRICK RE-PRESSING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27. 1904 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 WITNESSES UNITED STATES Patented June 20, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN O. LUDLAH ANT) CHARLES F. BONNOT, OF FANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THE BONNOT COMPANY, OF CANTON, OHIO, A U( )RPORATLON OF OHIO.

L BRICK RE-PIRESSING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,999, dated June 20, 1905.

Application fileil July 27, 1904. Serial No. 218,346.

Be it known that we, JOHN O. LUDLAM and Cumulus F. Boxuor, of Can ton, Stark county, Ohio, have invented a new and useful Brick 5 lte- Pressing tpparatusof which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which I Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section, showing a preferred form of our apparatus. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the parts in pressing position, and Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line III Ill of Fig. 1.

Our invention relates to the re-pressing of bricks or blocks; and it is designed to provide an apparatus which shall be free from shocks and jars, which shall give a large output, improve the quality of the brick, and be 0 a distinct advance mechanically.

The invention consists in providing pressing-plungers which move in the same direction, but at ditferent rates of speed, during the pressing operation, so that the brick is moved 5 bodily during its pressing.

it also consists in pushingthe pressed brick or bricks off from the ejecting-plunger and in moving the next brick or bricks to be pressed upon said plunger while the plunger is in mo 3 tion and is above the level of the top of the mold or that part of the mold that the brick travels over during its motion off the plunger.

The invention further consists in a simple and effective adjustment for one of the pl ungers, in the bridge arranged to facilitate the passage of the bricks upon the plunger, and in other combinations and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the .drawings, 2 2 represent the lined end plates of the mold, and 3 2) its side plates, the mold being open at the top and bottom to receive the upper plunger %and the lower plunger The upper plunger engages suitable guides (5 6 and is pivotally connected to the lower end of a stem 7. This stem is made in two parts having right and left hand screwthreads 8 and 9, respectively, secured within a two-part nut, so that by turning, the throw of the upper plunger may be quickly and easily regulated. The upper portion of the stem is formed as a part of an eccentric-strap 11), engaging an eccentric 11 or a crank secured to the shaft 12. This shaft is provided with a large gear-wheel 13, inter-meshing with a pinion it upon the power-shaft 15.

The lower plunger 5 is secured to a crosshead 16, extending through the frame of the machine and connected at its ends by suitable pairs of rods l7 with an upper crank-pin 18, actuated by cranks 19, mounted on the shaft l2. The rods 17 extend up through the bearings and are provided with springs 20, which as the lower plunger is drawn up during the pressing will accommodate the slightly different amounts of material in the brick with out injuring the machine.

At one side of the mold is a receiving-table 21, having a lower reciprocating feeder-head 22, moving in guideways 23 and connected by a central stem 2 t, which extends up through a slot in the table to a pusher or conveyer25.

\V e have shown the mold as arranged to press two bricks simultaneously, and in this case the pusher consists of an adjustable base portion with a centralforwardly-projecting wing or prong 26, arranged to pass between two bricks. .The end of the feeder-head 29. is pivotally connected by links 27 to rock-levers 28, secured to rock-shaft 29. A lever 30, secured to this shaft, carries a roller 31, which moves in a cam-groove 32, formed in a cam-disk 33, bolted to the large gear-wheel 13.

The upper end of the mold-cavity is slightly below the level of the receiving-table, and between the inner end of the table and the end of the mold is a bridge or part of the mold 3 t, which is curved or convex or beveled upon its upper face, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.. The upper level of this bridge or part of mold is above the highest point of travel of the lower 9 plunger, and its shape allows the brick to lower into the die after passing over the highest point, thus preventing the pusher from moving the brick too far and the upper plunger injuring or clipping it between the upper plunger and mold.

At the end of the mold opposite the feedtable we provide an ordinary continuous-belt conveyer 35, moving over end pulleys 36, the outer of which is driven by a sprocket-wheel driven by a chain, (indicated at 37.) This chain passes over the sprocket 38 on shaft 39, having a sprocket-wheel 40 with a chain etl, passing over a sprocket-wheel 42 on the powershaft 15. I

In the operation of the machine after the pressing operation the upward movement of both plungers carries the upper plunger away from the pressed brick, While the lower plunger lifts them above the upper edge of the moldcavity. As the lower plunger reaches a level slightly above this top the pusher begins to move forward, and as it pushes the unpressed bricks forwardly these bricks slide over the bridge and push the pressed bricks forwardly from the top of the lower plunger. During this action this lower'plunger is moved first upwardly and then downwardly through its short travel above the top of the mold or above that part of the mold the brick travels over during its motion off the plunger. At the time when the plunger in its reversed and downward movement has reached the level of the die-cavity the unpressed bricks will have pushed the pressed bricks forwardly upon the conveyer, and thus lie in proper position on the plunger. During this ejecting of the pressed bricks and feeding forward of the unpressed bricks the upward and downward travel of the lower plunger causes a slight rocking movement of the bricks. This prevents the sticking of the ends of one set of bricks to those of the next. The pressed bricks as they move onto the conveyer also have a tendency to lift at their forward ends, and

thus reduce the friction as they move ontothe conveyer. After the unpressed bricks are thus delivered upon the plunger, which continues its downward movement, the pusher is retracted and the upper plunger also moves downwardly. This upper plunger has also been moving through the upper part of its up-and-down stroke during the pushing out of the pressed bricks and pushing in of the unpressed bricks. It moves at a greater rate of speed on its downward stroke than does the lower plunger, and consequently after the lower plunger has been lowered to bring the unpressed bricks wholly within the mold the upper plunger reaches the bricks and the pressing begins. During this pressing the bricks are moving down, and this gives a wiping action upon the inner mold faces, which improves the quality and appearance of the bricks. At the end of the down travel the pressing is completed, and as the plungers start to move up the upper plunger will move faster and be lifted away from the pressed bricks, so that as the lower plunger rises above the moldlevel or above that part of the mold the brick travels over during its motion off the plunger the upper plunger is removed and the pushing operation again begins, as before described.

It will be noted that the plungers are always in motion, traveling at such speed as would be governed by the revolving of an eccentric or crank, the main feature, however, being that the plungers are moving during the pressing operation and the lower plunger is moving during the ejecting operation.

The adjustment of the throw of the upper plunger enables the operator to make the proper adjustment for getting the desired amount of compression upon" the brick, and in this case the bricks having ornamental faces the adjustment provides for making this ornamentation as sharp as desired.

We have shown the mold as provided with two cavities separated by a longitudinal partition 43, the plungers being arranged in pairs. The apparatus may,however,be used for pressing a single brick or pressing any number of bricks, as desired.

The advantages of our invention result from improving the quality and increasing the output, owing to the moving of the brick and plungers during the pressing operation, also from the movement of the lower plunger during the act of ejecting the bricks, moving the bricks from the plunger and feeding unpressed bricks thereon while in motion.

Many changes may be made in the form and arrangement of the plungers, their actuating connections, the feed mechanism, and other partswithout departing from our invention.

l/Ve claim 1. In brick-pressing apparatus a mold having opposite open ends, plungers movable within said ends, and means for reciprocating the plungers simultaneously at different rates of speed and in the same direction during the pressing operation; substantially as described.

2. In a brick-pressing apparatus, an openended mold, an ejecting-plunger, means for moving said plunger beyond the upper end of the mold, or above that part of the mold the brick travels over during its motion off the plunger, and means for moving the pressed bricks from the plunger during its movement beyond the mold end; substantially as described.

3. In brick-pressing apparatus, an openended mold having top and bottom plungers, means for reciprocating said plungers, said means being arranged to move the lower plunger upwardly and downwardly beyond the upper end of the mold, or above that part of the mold the brick travels over during its motion ofi' the plunger, and means for pushing unpressed bricks onto said plunger during its movement above the upper end of the mold, or above that part of the mold the brick travels over during its motion off the plunger; substantially as described.

4. In brick-pressing apparatus, a mold having open upper and lower ends, plungers arranged to move through said upper end, means ISO for moving the lower plunger upwardly and downwardly above the upper end of the mold, or above that part of the mold the brick trav els over during its motion oti' the plunger, and pusher mechanism arranged to force forwardly impressed bricks upon the plunger and push ott the pressed bricks during the movement of the lower plunger above the upper end of the mold or above that part of the mold the brick travels over during its motion ed the plunger; substantially as described.

ln brick-pressing apparatus, a mold having open ends, opposite plungers movable through said upper end, one of said plungers being movable through a short stroke beyond the end of the mold or above that part of the mold the brick travels over during its motion otl' the plunger, and mechanism for moving the bricks from said plunger during the said short movement beyond the mold end; substantially as described.

6. In brick-pressing apparatus a mold having opposite open ends, opposite plungers movable through said ends, and actuating conneetions arranged to move said plungers continuously, said connections being arranged to move the plungers simultaneously in the same direction and at different speeds during the pressing operation; substantially as described.

7. ln brick-pressing apparatus, a mold hav ing open upper and lower ends, opposite plungers movable through said ends, means for giving the lower plunger a short travel upwardly and downwardly above the upper end of the mold, or above that part of the mold the brick travels over during its motion off the plunger, a bridge or part of mold either curved or beveled at one end of the top of the mold and above its upper edge, and means for pushing bricks forwardly overthc bridge during the travel of the lower plunger above the top of the mold; substantially as described.

8. .[n brick-pressing apparatus, a mold having open upper and lower ends, a bridge at one edge of its u pper end, and having a curved or bevel face, reciprocating upper and lower plungers, connections for moving the lower plunger through a short travel beyond one end of the mold and means for pushingbricks over said bridge upon the lower plunger during its travel above the upper end of the mold orabove that partof the mold thebrick travels over during its motion oil the plunger; substantially as described.

9. in a brick-pressing apparatus, an open mold, opposite plungers movable through the ends of the mold, an actuating two-part stem for one of the plungers, and a nut with reversely-threaded ends uniting the two parts of the stem, whereby the distance between the top and bottom plungers may be regulated, substantially as described.

10. in a brick-pressing apparatus having plungers which are always in motion, and continuonsly-revolving cranks or eccentrics t'or actuating said plungers, said cranks or eccentrics governing the travel and speed of said plungers; substantially as described.

11. In in'ick-pressing apparatus, a mold having open upper and lower ends, opposite plungers movable through said ends, means for moving said plungers simultaneously in the same direction and at a different rate of speed during the pressing operation, means For moving the lower plunger through a short travel above the top of the mold, or above that part of the mold the brick travels over in its motion oil' the plunger, and means for moving the impressed bricks upon the top of the lower plunger, and movingotl' the pressed bricks during this short travel above the top of the mold or above that part of the mold the brick travels over in its motion ell the plunger; substantially as described.

12. In brick-pressing apparatus, a mold having opposite open ends, opposite plungers movable within said ends, and means for continuously reciprocating the plungers, said means being arranged to move the plungcrs simultaneously at a dillerent speed in the same direction during pressing, and to move one plunger beyond the end of the mold during pushing on and oil of the bricks; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

J OI [N O. LUDLAM. CHAS. F. BUNNOT.

\Vitnesses:

(bias. i\l. BALL, R. J. (iomin. 

